Learn What Not to Do - Anonymous employee Refinery29 Employee Review

2.0
13 Apr 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Lots of sunlight - Dog-friendly office - Office decor makes it feel inviting - Some individuals are willing to make positive change - Great HR department - Occasional in-office massages - Quarterly beauty sales - Regular Thursday happy hours - Work from home policy is loose - Impressive brand name, exposure, and designs - There are so many failures that happen on a regular basis, that you'll learn what not to do very quickly

Cons

- The few good managers there are have to fight very, very hard to get their employees the pay and budget they need to succeed - Junior people moved to management without the proper training or fostered environment to succeed - Very clicky culture, makes it difficult for new hires to fit in, gain momentum, or feel empowered - Women not supportive of other women, personal politics is the norm (very unfortunate for a company that preaches women supporting women) - When it comes to practicing values, they can talk it but can't walk it - Hiring process has no skill assessment for individuals, leading to large groups of unexperienced staff - 401k matching is not very good - Low pay - If you want to get something done, expect to get no sleep - Secret culture of disempowerment - you have to attend every meeting to make a good impression, otherwise you'll suffer the fear of others holding it against you - There are so many failures that happen on a regular basis, that you'll learn what not to do very quickly

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
23 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

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